The Voice: First Live Show Was Fantastic! And Then There Were 12…

By Erica

Wow folks, we’re already to the Live Performances!

This is an entirely odd week for The Voice.  I don’t remember what they did in 2012, but I don’t believe they had the performances and the votes all happen within the same two hours because of the election.  Which leads into my ultimate pet peeve about this episode, it is too similar to the “Twitter Save” where they completely FUCK OVER the West Coast and I am damn bitter about it.  I did vote, but without the benefit of hearing these artists sing live for the first time.  This is also the first time people other than the coaches are making the decisions.  As a West Coast fan,  at 5 PM, I was literally opening the app in a department store so I could vote! I had to base my votes on past performances. I didn’t even have much of a chance to review my past blogs for reference.  I forgot to put my phone on silent and some old biddy gave me the stink eye when the sound bite THIS IS THE VOICE! played loudly from my phone.  Only slightly embarrassing.  

THE ARTISTS

The artists did what I can only describe as a “speed round” of performances with very little biography or background aired.   That part was refreshing.  There was a brief overview at the beginning of each team segment, with the coach talking briefly about each artist, then WHAM BAM, the artists performed with no commentary afterward.  After each team finished, they opened up the voting to the app and to Twitter for a brief time while the next team started performing. There were a few disappointing performances tonight that sent some artists that I liked home. There were a few great performances that made me sit up and take notice. If I had the benefit of experiencing some of the performances, my votes might have been different.  Once again, SONG CHOICE was critical.

PERFORMANCES OF NOTE FROM ARTISTS WE’LL SEE AGAIN

Christian Cuevas (Team Alicia)  Song: Yesterday (Lennon-McCartney, first recorded by the Beatles)

Christian had me close to tears.  With the first performance it proves why this Twitter voting thing is a disservice to every artist.  Christian did beautifully and memorably tonight – and I didn’t vote for him because I didn’t have the benefit of watching this performance.  Yesterday is one of those seemingly simple songs – but sometimes in art, the simple is the most difficult.  Christian nailed it.

Editor’s Note from TT: This was the best performance of the night by miles and you WILL CRY so this video might not be safe for work unless you want to be in a puddle on the floor. It’s that second half, dammit. 

Courtney Harrell (Team Blake)

Song:  It Must Have Been Love (Gessle, recorded by Roxette)

I fucking love her for singing this song. She made it hers.  No one has ever covered this, as far as I know.  But I know every single word because I have played Pretty Woman soundtrack over and over through the years.  Maybe even more than the Dirty Dancing soundtrack, and TRUST ME, that is saying something.  Her notes were so damn pure and beautiful.  I didn’t vote for her, but after that, how could Blake do anything BUT pick her?

Ali Caldwell (Team Miley) Song: Times Have Changed (Irma Thomas)   

I had forgotten that Ali was a four chair turn in the Blinds.  It was this performance that clearly shows why.   It was simply one of those “drop mic and leave the stage moments”.  I can see why the East Coast crowd voted her in.  I simply didn’t because I vowed I’d only vote for three, and was forced to go by more recent past performances. For the record, I voted for Sophia Urista, Darby Walker, and Aaron Gibson on Team Miley.

Billy Gilman (Team Adam)

Song:  Cryin’ (Orbison/Melson recorded by Roy Orbison)

No, I’m not Cryin’, but had chills and a lump in my throat during this performance.  He continues to keep in mind the advice given to him early on about how the audience must feel him, feel the effort that he puts into it even though he can make it seem effortless. He  left it all out there on the stage.  He knew he did well at the end, and his reactions going off stage was delightful.

DISAPPOINTING PERFORMANCES THAT SENT PEOPLE HOME

Josh Halverson (Team Alicia)  Song: Cupid (Sam Cooke)

Dear, dear Josh.  I loved him last week and voted for him this week.  But he clearly  misunderstood my words last week, saying he was like Bob Dylan’s grandson. He went too Bob Dylan this week. I admire Dylan as a poet, when I can read his lyrics in the written form or when sung by someone else.  But I could never understand Dylan’s actual singing. Tonight, the captions didn’t even always help when Josh was singing.  Do he have cotton in his mouth?  Lockjaw? Good luck to him,  hopefully this will still give his career a boost.

Sophia Arista (Team Miley) Song: Da Ya Think I’m Sexy (Rod Stewart)

When I read the results, I was shocked.  But then listening to her performance, I got it.  Great song choice, but she slid into “Cover Band vocalist” mode and her voice took on a Rod Stewart British quality. Back in my more frequent concert going days, I saw Rod in concert (Fucking amazeballs).  This was more of an homage, rather than claiming it as her own.  I think it is what sent her home.

Riley Elmore (Team Adam) Song: Luck Be a Lady Tonight (Loesser,a signature song of Frank Sinatra)

I have enjoyed Riley, but this performance? He became a single man cover band.  He needed to pick something modern and make it his own.  Perhaps something Lady Gaga?  She crosses over into this genre so well. I love her stuff with Tony Bennett, so how about a jazzy version of Poker Face?

Note from TT: I liked this better on TV than it comes off on Youtube. Just thought you might like a little quirky fun in your day. This is Darby from Team Miley. 

THE FINAL 12 

Blake: Sundance Head, Courtney Harrell,  Austin Allsup,

Adam: Josh Gallagher, Billy Gilman, Brendan Fletcher

Miley: Ali Caldwell, Darby Walker, Aaron Gibson

Alicia:  We McDonald, Christian Cuevas, Sa’Rayah,

FINAL SUMMARY

I didn’t mention them above but Sundance Head, Austin Allsup and We McDonald continued to kill it, and I expect them to continue to do so in the next month.  I wouldn’t be surprised if they were the final three; however, Sundance and Austin are in danger because they are on the same team and sing similar genres.

Next week the key advisor is GARTH BROOKS!  I am so excited.  This may be amazing! He’s  the King of Modern Country in so many ways, but he is also a master of cover songs, and making them his own. THE FREAKING BEST. His eleven disc set coming out this month is going on my Christmas list for sure.  Garth just likes GOOD MUSIC and sings it well. 

Programming Note:  The Voice won’t be on Monday because of football (GO HAWKS).  The remaining twelve will perform on Tuesday, with the one hour results show airing on Wednesday.

TT NOTE: This was my second favorite song of the night, and it was right up there with Christian in my book. I may just like Counting Crows too much. I just dug out the CD and cranked it. Banjo is confused. In the six years I’ve had him, I’ve probably played music three times. I did sing to him a lot when he was really sick once. So if I sing along he comes trying to snuggle. And I’m trying to work. 🙂